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OK, amidst this very exciting week, I'm finally going to take the time to gather my thoughts on Sola. This will be my first time really using a large-scale system to guage a show for real. It's kind of humbling to go after people like Ascaloth and Sorrow-K, as I didn't think I can pump out enormous volumes of analyzations and criticisms capped with pithy quotes and pictures. I'll do what I can, though. ^_^ At least Skane hasn't posted yet. >_>

Earlier on, I stated that I didn't like to use structured rating systems for anime. Well, I'm going to eat my words. I decided I could use a good way for comparing shows and making my thoughts more organized. By categorizing ratings, I am also better able to notice just what works and what doesn't within an anime. However, I recognize that it's not completely right to just lump together scores to evaluate an anime; that's why I left room in the scoring system for stuff that doesn't fit neatly into conventional categories.

My new scoring system is comprised of 8 categories rated on a 1-10 scale: Characters, Plot, Setting, Directing and Pacing, Animation, Music, Voice Acting, and Brownie Points. The first 7 are somewhat self-explanatory; the 8th section is devoted to all sorts of stuff that may make a show unique or endearing without falling into one of the other categories. While all of these categories are subjective, some are obviously more so than others, with Characters and Brownie Points being by far the most subjective. Not all categories are worth the same either. I personally value Characters as the most important factor in an enjoyable show; I can stand a show with a horrid plot if I can love the characters, but a show with a brilliant plot can still lose my interest if it lacks characters that I like (Death Note comes to mind...I don't hate it, it's just that the characters don't hold my interest). The Character score is multiplied by 2; Plot and Setting are both multiplied by 1.5. Yeah, I do lay rather heavy emphasis on Setting (that partially includes premise too). Fascinating worlds are a key factor for drawing my attention (that's what drew me to .Hack/SIGN in the first place).

Total possible amount of points is 100/100. All but 2 categories will be in only whole numbers of 1-10 without any decimals. A score containing an interval of .5 will be allowed for Characters (since this is such a large section) and Music (which is comprised of 2 parts). As I have stated before, I really can't explain the difference between a 7.6 and a 7.7, but I sure can explain why I would rate something a 7 instead of an 8.

Anyway, here are my scores and thoughts for Sola, with some spoiler tags for length:

Characters - 4.5

Characters are judged based on both how much I personally like them, and to a lesser extent how well the story handled their development (the latter bleeds over to plot and organization). Some minor characters may be selectively omitted. The final character score is not a simple average of the individual character scores. Main characters will carry more weight, as they should naturally be judged by a heavier standard due to their increased screentime. Sadly, that's something that doesn't help Sola at all, as many people have noted. The side characters were interesting, to be sure, but to call the main trio and their affairs lackluster may be an understatement.

Individual scores:

Yorito - 2

Spoiler:

My opinion of this guy started out low (ditching class to photograph the sky?), and it only sank lower as the story progressed. Yorigami just wasn't likable at all throughout the whole show. Male leads make or break shows like Sola, IMHO, and Yorito definitely dropped the ball. His actions are inconsistant at best, oscillating from indecisive stammering to outlandish convictions. Other people have already hammered his out-of-left-field wish to just die after discovering his true nature, and I couldn't agree more with their criticisms of this contrived development.

As I have stated before, I couldn't help but compare Yorito's situation to Sakai Yuuji's in Shakugan no Shana. Both characters discover that they're not "real"; they're just temporary replacements for the real Yorito/Yuuji who has already died. However, Yuuji showed a strong resolve to spend the remainder of his borrowed life wisely, for a noble purpose, such as saving the lives of his friends during the Tomogara attacks. Yorito, however, reacts to this revelation by expressing a wish to just die, and not only alone, but to take others with him. This guy deserves a slap in the face, honestly. What made this decision even more difficult to swallow was the fact that Yorito shouldn't have any idea how sacrificing his and Matsuri's life would affect Aono's mental state. She's already killed herself once when the original Yorito died; how would killing off this Yorito and sacrificing Matsuri guarentee that Aono would live on this time around? As I said in the episode 13 thread, either there's going to be a cheap and convenient mind wipe, or a totally unexplained character twist. Neither impresses me at all.

In the end, Yorito the character was as flimsy and forgettable as a sheet of paper. Not exquisite origami paper made into beautiful works of art, but the cheap printer paper that recieves a printing error and becomes destined for the shredder. Truly disappointing indeed. Why didn't I give him a 1? Because honestly, he's not the worst. But he's not too far from it. He disgraces the esteemed arts of origami and paper mache.

Matsuri - 5

Spoiler:

I think I'm being a bit generous with that score, but truth was, if I just view her as a character unconnected to the scattered plot, she's really not that bad at all. When she was first introduced, she possessed a mysterious attribute that was certainly quite intriguing. She's also got plenty of cute moments, especially in the earlier episodes. However, her later actions toward the end of the show really hurt her score, as she is guilty of similar rash actions that plagued Yorito. Once again, I don't think she actually considered the consequences of her actions to "save" Aono. It was only by a miraculous and unexplained plot device, IMHO, that their plan concluded with a happy ending. This will probably remain my opinion unless the OVAs answer the questions that I have about the last episode.

Anyway, Matsuri was a character with lots of potential, but sadly squandered it all as the show wound down. I was even willing to forgive the fact that I'm clueless why she loves Yorito, but some of her other actions baffled me further. For example, why didn't she leave town immediately after promising Aono that she'd no longer interfere? Or why was she aiming to kill Aono with the sword at first during their fight (I'm assuming she didn't know Aono was using a paper clone, otherwise she wouldn't be wasting time with a fake)?

Matsuri is like the cloudy night sky. At times, it could potentially yield a beautiful display of the distant heavenly bodies (assuming no light polution). But unfortunately, before you could finish savorying the view, the clouds roll in and obstruct your hopes. Too bad, this character could have been rather likable, but in the end just fell short.

Aono - 4

Spoiler:

If it weren't for her paper powers, you can bet that score would be lower. She's lucky I have a weakness for paper users, but honestly now, even HAXED paper powers won't redeem a tragic and suicidal figure plagued by unexplained "character development", an inadquately explained backstory, and a repelling personality defined by selfishness and lust for a pile of paper. Like Matsuri, I thought she had potential, but her irrationality just ended up irritating me instead. I've already stated my opinion on her sudden change at the end from not wanting to live without Yorito, to being all friendly and happy. Not explaining something as important as this will most definitely damage my opinion of the character.

To her credit, I did like the scenes between her and Koyori. However, I feel that may have been more on Koyori's part than Aono's. Aono scores lower than Matsuri because unlike Matsuri, if I take a step back and ignore most of the plot inconsistancies of Aono's actions, she's still not all that likable either. Obsessed with brother? Suicidal? Sickly, yet not making it look adorable or demonstrating courage like Kanon's Shiori? Does not bode well at all. Take away Koyori, and her character is doomed.

Aono is like a wrinkled piece of origami paper. As soon as I saw her, I was already lamenting a little on the ruined potential. Then that wrinkled paper was folded, with the goal being a decent origami design, yet the wrinkles made the folds sloppy and uneven, thus yielding a subpar result.

I had her as one of my favorite characters at the start, although she dipped a few points towards the end. One thing that rather disappointed me was the whole mind wipe issue, as I thought that totally ruined her character, but that didn't cause the most damage. What really irritated me was that she became disturbingly similar to Yorito by the end, and you can bet that doesn't make me too pleased. I'm almost willing to overlook her illogical crush on Yorito (what do these girls see in him, honestly??? I can sort of understand Aono and Matsuri if the original Yorito was super-GAR or something, but Mana doesn't get that excuse). However, her character just felt poorly managed as the story drew to a close. A part of me asks, what was the point of her existance again? Yorito didn't seem to care about her at all after the first few episodes, and she winds up not remembering anything that happened afterwards. We went through all that just so Aono could end up with a playmate to stare at the sky with by the final episode? Disappointing to say the least.

To Mana's credit, she does have plenty of cute moments especially with her sister. And ignoring her crush on Yorito and how the plot totally shafted her far, far worse than Kanon adaptations do to Nayuki, she's actually rather likable. It's a total shame that too often, she's demoted to merely fulfilling a plot device such as telling Yorito about Matsuri's whereabouts, or helping Takeshi find Mayuko.

Once more thing that I must ask: what's with the fish-shaped hairclip?

Koyori - 7

Spoiler:

To make this short, she was an adorable character. Unlike Mana, she didn't get totally shafted by the plot...because she barely played a role to begin with. She gets points for her Aono scenes, and wins more for receiving the Onee-san chop. Plus, I loved her formal manner of speech, which definitely cracked me up on at least one occassion. I don't really have too many faults to pin on her, but she hits a ceiling on her score due to her lack of screentime and importance to the plot outside of being a slightly contrived character development path for Aono.

However, I am now rooting for a spinoff series where Mayuko and Koyori join forces and start a detective agency. No, don't ask.

Takeshi - 8

Spoiler:

My favorite character in the series. He possesses many of the admirable traits that were sorely lacking in Yorito. It was an outrage that this guy wasn't the main character. To sum it up, he was brave and stalwart in his convictions. He devoted his entire life to a promise made to his dearest friend, a promise that drove him from a comfortable life as a normal boy into one of hardships and trials. He surely knows that only sadness and loneliness awaits his companion if things continue the way they are, yet the two still manage somehow. Such a total waste having this guy as a mere side character. This reminds me of rule #15 on the Grand List Of Console Role Playing Game Clichés, which demands that a side character will always be cooler than the main character.

Takeshi loses points for having lots of things unexplained in his backstory. Are we to assume that Mayuko creates money for him like Aono does, or does he do all sorts of random odd jobs (I'd watch that!). How'd he learn to fight, and where'd he get that magic sword? Also, since he only had one episode entirely devoted to his story, I had to cap his max point potential, sadly.

On a completely random note, I'd like to see this guy in a fighting game someday. One of his supers could involve tossing his sword sheath to distract the opponent, and as they catch it, he appears behind them and slashes their back. That'd be cool. Oh, and throw in Mayuko as a striker with her Usagi Punch!

Mayuko - 7

Spoiler:

I liked her, but unfortunately she barely played more of a role in the story than Koyori. She stops Takeshi from killing Matsuri, and she's inextricably linked to Takeshi's side story, but she barely even enters into the main story. Too bad, more wasted potential. But the fact that I've mentioned her in many of the other characters' ratings means I still do like her.

She gets points for her Rozen Maiden cosplays (I actually thought her Souseiseki look was better than her Shinku one, must be the hat), and her rather touching backstory and relationship with Takeshi. Those two really can't be separated, I guess. It's an utter shame that in the grand scheme of the main plot, she really doesn't figure in much at all.

Now I want to see her cosplay as Suigintou and maybe Suiseiseki.

Plot - 5

Spoiler:

Started reasonably well, but just started going down after a while. You know, maybe if the whole thing was just slice of life like the earlier episodes, I might have rated it higher. After all, most of the inconsistancies occurred at the end. Now, if I don't bother to examine too hard, the story really isn't all that bad. I mean, it certainly did evoke ample emotions (assuming you connected to the main characters, which I had trouble doing), and the conclusion wasn't bad at all (if you ignore some gaping plot holes). I guess it depends a lot on how much effort you put into examining the story, and how forgiving you are of not having things filled in or patched up for you. Unfortunately, for me such problems are oftentimes an indication of weak storytelling. I'd expect some answers. Sometimes, I'm more forgiving to adaptations of original works, as the originals may contain the answers I'm looking for, and I might be persuaded to partially forgive omissions due to the familiarity of part of the target audience. Unfortunately, Sola doesn't have this luxury. OK, that might be a bit unfair, but calling something unfair doesn't do a thing to erase the faults I find in Sola's storyline.

Really now, the story premise and "big picture" really aren't that bad at all. Unfortunately, the devil's in the details, and the execution really undermined the intriguing story set up. In the character sections, I've already mentioned many examples of inconsistancies and unexplained stuff in the plot execution that baffled and annoyed me, so I'll leave it at that.

Setting - 7

Spoiler:

This section is for examining the world that the anime constructs, both the physical setting and the non-physical aspects of the show's universe. The premise of the show is also considered here, as is how well the world is illustrated. As I've stated many times by now, Sola is not without its intrigue. As Vexx has kindly mentioned a few times, the Yaka mythos is more original than it first appears. I'm willing to accept it as being more than just a palette swap of vampires. Tying this in to the story that took place centuries ago also has its merits, although it wasn't handled that well. It still left me with many questions, such as what exactly happened all those hundreds of years. I mean, did Aono take THAT long to make a paper mache?

The city that the story takes place in feels somewhat generic, but apparently it's ameliorated to me thanks to its ample (and convenient plot-wise) rainfall. I like the rain just like how I like the snow in Kanon (it was just SO much better animated in Kanon). The shots of the sky, clouds, and sunrise/sunset were rather nice at first, although I'm probably not the only one who feels that sky montages were a bit overplayed at certain points. I liked the ruined church setting too, although a part of me wonders what that's doing there in the first place, and if it's abandoned, why it took that long to tear down.

Overall, Sola's world does capture my interest, but leaves me with a few too many unanswered questions. Now, no show will likely leave me with no questions, but Sola seems to have just a few too many, similar to the plot. Still, I rather liked the world and the premise, I just wish it could have been executed better. I mean, we're all still in the dark on a large portion of the Yaka mythos.

I wish it would rain as often where I live as it does in Sola...

Directing - 7

Spoiler:

A somewhat short post here due to my onsetting fatigue (I knew I shouldn't have tried to type all this in one sitting). Most of my complaints were with the actual plot itself, not necessarily with the directing or pacing. Still, the execution of the plot does cost points here. I could have made do with one or two fewer slice of life episodes in return for more time to explain the questions and inconsistancies surrounding the Yorito/Aono/Matsuri or Takeshi/Mayuko storylines.

Overall, nothing terribly noteworthy in my eyes, whether good or bad. But some scenes were rather well done, so I'll be generous here.

Animation - 9

Spoiler:

Solid work for the most part here. I can't really think of any major complaints about the animation, just some minor issues. One, I didn't really like the facial designs too much. I think they were a bit too angular for my tastes. Two, I wish the rain effects were done better, but that might just be me being too picky and demanding. Three, the same costumes were used a bit too much, but once again I might just be too spoiled (but this isn't Rozen Maiden, you know). Four, while the fights were fairly well done for the most part, there were some inconsistancies in what was going on, like the Aono/Matsuri duel at the bus station. But I won't be too harsh here right now, since for the most part it was nice.

Music - 8

This score is an average of two scores: one for the background music, and one for the OP/ED/insert songs.

Background Music - 7

Spoiler:

More like a lack thereof at some parts, but it still worked reasonably well. Still, there were some parts that I wished actually did have music. For example, during Aono's monologue about the sky at the end, I got vibes that reminded me of Haruka's speech to Sora at the end of AIR, or little Ayu's final monologue in episode 23 of Kanon 2006. Both of those latter scenes were enhanced by the music, IMHO, but Sola's version of it felt a bit...flat, which I attribute to the silence. I mean, Aono's normal speech wasn't exactly riveting to begin with.

However, when there was music, it was generally agreeable for the most part. There were some good tunes too. I liked the ample wind instrumentation for the battle music between Matsuri and Takeshi in episode 9.

OP/ED/Insert Songs - 9

Spoiler:

I admit, I rather liked these songs. They were rather fitting according to my ears, and the instrumentation pleased me. It wasn't necessarily the words or the singer, but the ample use of string instruments, that drew me to the OP, "Colorless Wind". And since I'm counting animation sequences along with the OP/ED, I must conclude that the show does not disappoint on this ground. Although I might have been happier with showing just Matsuri in the OP sequence, I think that might add to the whole theme of "Sola = alone".

Voice Acting - 8

Spoiler:

I'll make this short. Overall, a solid performance, although Yorito was annoying, as many have stated. Aono's voice also bored me at times.

And does little Takeshi's voice remind anyone else of Hayate from Hayate the Combat Butler? Who does that anyway?

Brownie Points - 7

Spoiler:

OK, yes, this show was enjoyable at some level, as I have said many, many times by now. Lots of little quirks left me entertained and sometimes even giddy. It's only after I calm down and reflect that the show tends to lose favor with me (but this is true of almost all shows). A few points that really made me happy:

+ Paper battles! Not nearly as good as the ones in the R.O.D. series, but still not too shabby.
+ Girls making origami! I like origami (it's listed under my hobbies).
+ Onee-san chop!
+ Absolutely loved some of the episode previews, especially Shiratori and the tongue twister.
+ Rozen Maiden cosplay!
+ Loli-in-a-box/can (still not as great as Loli-in-a-bag though).

All this makes the show good for a quick watch, but not something to be digested too much. Sort of like candy, I guess? Too bad I'm not much of a snacking person myself.

Final Score - 66/100 (rounded up to a 7 here)

In the end, we're left with a show with above average production qualities and likable side characters. Unfortunately, the real tragedy of the show was the lackluster main cast and a promising plot riddled with one too many holes. I'm comfortable with calling it just a little above average, but I may have been a bit too generous at times. I'd watch it and enjoy it, but not dwell much on it afterwards. The only episode I'm likely to rewatch is episode 9, just for the Takeshi and Mayuko love.

And that concludes my evaluation of the show. My apologies and thanks to whoever actually bothered to go through all that.

Edit: After reading your review, Sorrow-K, I found it rather amusing that you also mentioned Utawarerumono. That was the first anime that came to mind when I was thinking of a show I'd rate closest to how I rated Sola (I believe I also rated it a "7" here on AnimeSuki). However, the point distribution for that was different; I thought the Uta characters were more likable (especially the main characters), but I'd rate it even lower than Sola for plot. Uta also had better music for me, while Sola would win out on animation, etc.

Utawarerumono is an interesting comparison, and I'm not sure it's a widely known fact that Sola and Uta have the same director (which is one of the reasons I mentioned it in my review). Uta I'd have given similar rating, but in my eyes it's a slightly better anime... although obviously very different. But both series have flaws and, in my eyes, both series had awesome potential that they just didn't live up to. And while Sola's flaws were weak lead characters and inconsistent plot, I'd say Uta's flaws were inconsistent pacing and too many side characters that turned into chess pieces. But purely from looking at Kobayashi's list of projects, I can't say I'd rate him highly, and Sola hasn't changed that opinion... although on the other hand, ep 5 of Rozen Maiden was a work of genius.

A pretty nice and trough review, Mirrinus ... though i can't say i agree on some of the points and complains you make.

First... your Yorito's comparison to Yuuji.

Spoiler for minor Shakugan no Shana spoilers:

Their situations are not that similar beyond the surface level. Yorito was literally Aono's doll. His life could have been ended on a whim, his memories were prone to get erased and he was prone to get mind controlled. And there was no way out of this situation from him. Hardly an optimistic setting.

Yuuji's situation is fairly different. His life is his own, as long as he makes it to midnight. Heck, he even has some powers of his own. A loving mother and a goal he wanted to achieve that didn't involve being some ones puppet. In essence, Yuuji was still Yuuji.

Granted, i do find his wish to die a rather sudden development, but it is not impossible to see why he would want that. All in all i find you are being too harsh on Yorito - he wasn't really bad for a male lead. Worst he ever did was agree to turning Aono back to human (due to fact she could have killed herself again) ... aside from that, he is not bad at all. Bland - yes, but not bad by any means.

Quote:

Matsuri
was even willing to forgive the fact that I'm clueless why she loves Yorito, but some of her other actions baffled me further. For example, why didn't she leave town immediately after promising Aono that she'd no longer interfere? Or why was she aiming to kill Aono with the sword at first during their fight (I'm assuming she didn't know Aono was using a paper clone, otherwise she wouldn't be wasting time with a fake)?

Love needs no explanation. But this excuse isn't even needed in this case, as it is not hard to figure out why Matsuri likes him at all. What are the chances of her falling for, possibly, the only human that has treated her like a normal girl since god knows when? I would say rather high. If this explanation doesn't suit you - refer to the 1st sentence of this paragraph

Not interfering =/= leaving town. She wasn't trying to interfere; it was a chance meeting. Perhaps she had other things to do in the town (Mayuko), or simply hadn't decided where to go next.

Aiming to kill Aono? Quite impossible, considering that a stab in the stomach is not very lethal to yakas, and the effect from the wound is not long lasting, if Matsuri herself is any indication. Besides, we could see in the Takeshi-Matsuri flashback that her initial reason for learning how to use the sword was to turn Aono back to a human.

Quote:

Aono
I've already stated my opinion on her sudden change at the end from not wanting to live without Yorito, to being all friendly and happy. Not explaining something as important as this will most definitely damage my opinion of the character.

It was not explained, thats for sure... it is one of my beefs with the situation as well. However, it isn't sudden at all. 1 year had passed since then, meaning Aono had plenty of time to sulk in a corner and think about what to do. The fact that she appeared only 1 year later means she did do something during that year. We do lack the information as to what inspired this change, but the change isn't sudden.

Aiming to kill Aono? Quite impossible, considering that a stab in the stomach is not very lethal to yakas, and the effect from the wound is not long lasting, if Matsuri herself is any indication. Besides, we could see in the Takeshi-Matsuri flashback that her initial reason for learning how to use the sword was to turn Aono back to a human.

And then I can point out that that particular sword is a magic sword, and as we've seen, it has a magical reaction when Matsuri stabbed herself with it, which means she must have been intending to knock off Aono when she stabbed the Aono-clone with it.....and then you can say that perhaps the magic sword only does that when the user wishes that to happen, and if she doesn't it simply acts as a normal sword, thus your assertion holds true regardless, and then I can say this, and then Mirrinus can say that, and then you'll rebut with something else, and then Sorrow-K'll point something else out etc. etc. ad infinitem ad nausem.

See, that is why I feel that my beef about Sola being so riddled with inconsistencies is highly relevant. Without consistency, we can go on like this forever and still go nowhere in the end.

Oh no, I don't mind the criticism. While your points certainly are plausible, Skyfall, the problem is that much of it still feels like mere speculation. Your assumptions are reasonable, to be sure, but since the show never actually revealed much of that, I can still fault the show for not properly developing the characters, even if what you say is true. Assuming your theory about Matsuri and Yorito is true, we still run into the fact that the show only bothered showing a total of maybe 2 or 3 minutes of them together in flashbacks. It still lacked ample development and exposition for such an important relationship. Now, I don't want to sound like I want everything to be served to me on a silver platter, but I expected a bit more in terms of storytelling.

As I've stated in the episode 13 thread, I think a fair number of my criticisms can be patched up depending on the OVA material. Unfortunately, this topic is for the series review, and I can't take any possible answers the extra episodes may have into account. But then again, Nomad did rather impress me with Rozen Maiden: Overture, so who knows?

one point off for pointy chins. Another for not going the extra mile in when it needed to.

Voice Actors: 10

It worked. Can't think of ways to make it better. I have to have lived in Japan for 10 years to offer any criticism for this series.

Script: 6

Could have been better. I really wish they would have taken more literary ( artistic ) approach to the plots and character growth

Editing: 10

This is the part that made Sola work. They inserted just the right elements and events at end of each episode to make the viewers become very curious about the next episode. They also made sure that there would be at least one 'MOE!!!' moment every episode.

Emotional Involvement: 10

All those Moe-ness, darkness emanating from the characters, and the cliff-hangers had me very engaged in this series. This was the series that I got most emotionally attached to since 'Koi kaze'.

I loved this series I give it a 10/10 ^_^ I understand what the majority is saying when coming to the inconsistency of some of the show. But I have to remain with my original statement I absolutely loved this show.

Wow. We got really rough critics... I don't see myself as much of a critic, so my post won't be as big... So, here goes:

I personally liked Sola. It wasn't another vampire story or super hero-ish story or any other story that seems to be touched upon repeatedly enough that it starts to feel old. Like a few stories out there, it was fresh and new in my eyes. It's refreshing to know that there's still some form of creativity out there where someone can't just randomly say, "Yeah, they've done that type of characters in..."

When I watched the first episode, I had the thought of, "Oh, great. Another vampire anime. What number is this now?" But, I was wrong to think that so quickly as the episode progressed. Instead of vampires, it was yakas. What exactly is yaka? Well, people say "woe" or "calamity." I liked one of the fansubber's own translation of the word in english. "Night Dwellers." I'm not one to much describe what a yaka truly is, but as far as I can really say, it's like a vampire, but closer to being human... Oh, and varying powers. That whole idea impressed me. Most stories now-a-days are easy to compare to other works we've personally seen in the past. With this one, I had a hell of a time trying to make a connection to other things. That's why I find it so creative.

The music helped set the mood and the flow of the colors just kept me wanting to watch for more. Sure, I can say that there were some disappointments and questionable moments about the story, as well as I wished the last episode ended differently, but it was amazing that it kept me attached to the series to the very end. The emotions it tried to invoke on the audience wasn't overwhelming like other animes and that helped. Some animes just invoke so much emotion that it makes it so hard to watch the whole series, and I end up either watching each episode at longer gaps of time or end up just putting it off until I felt that it was just a little too much for me to handle. This kept it at a good balance, though I will say that if it invoked a tad more emotion on the audience, it would have helped.

Oh, the storyline. I'll have to agree with those who say that there seemed to be several things that made me question or wonder/linger, but never ended up getting or finding an answer. I personally think that could have been resolved if the series had been expanded to 26-ish episodes instead of 13. I know I would be one of the audiences that would have hung on to the end.

Ah, the character development was highly criticized by many. I personally won't break it down per character. I actually liked them all, though for some of the supporting characters, I wished there were more to them than just showing up at convenient times. As for the characters that we were able to know more in-depth about, I was content, though it left me wishing for more. Several flashbacks and glimpses just give me a puzzle to work on while making me feel like there should be more pieces. Other than that, I liked how the characters started out personality-wise, and I liked how it progressed. They tried their best to explain why the characters acted these certain ways, and I'll give them kudos for that. But, like I said, if the series was longer, it probably would have helped expanding on that.

Overall, the anime was great and I'd love to buy it once the DVDs hit the shelves here in the US. (I'm praying they do.) The story could have been expanded further for a longer running anime. And of course, I do wish there would be more coming out later on, but with the way it ended, I highly doubt it... Unless the manga manages to continue the story past what has transpired and enlightens the director/producer/etc to continue the anime based on the manga.

7. Despite numerous flaws I do like the series. Mana was possibly the best character in this series and probably carried it about as far a supporting character can. The series itself had a lot of standout moments: a chase scene in which the protagonist is running away from the light instead of toward it, the rooftop scene with Mana and Yorito, and the fight between Aono and Matsuri was the epitome of style of substance. It didn't make sense but sure looked cool.

God asks no man whether he will accept life. That is not the choice. You must take it. The only choice is how."

That is truth. "Sola" has been a series like few times we got to seeing . Even though we can find resemblances and similitudes with another stories, the truth is that this was a new proposal and original, a mixture of mystery, romance and very measured action, with one than another little smile. The story has a great beginning and an excellent conclusion, because every last one instant maintained us attentive to what going to succeed, but definitively 13 chapters were not sufficient to tell the story of Matsuri, Aono and Yorito. More than incoherences, what I see is short time, because so much the background as the characters were there, finding themselves ready to tell us his story.

Matsuri was selfish in the past and was for selfishness that she put new life into Aono. Centuries after she has changed, no longer is the same one and even she falls in love, but she must abandon this sentiment because the same one is an illusion created by its friend, there is who she has found after having separated some time ago and than the same as her, could not be alone. Now she accepts his mistake in the past and wants to remedy it, although this mean destroying the only thing that has done her to feel human and that's why she suffers and hesitates. We all know as she concludes the story, the keys are there. Regrettably Nomad never reported the so extensive and wonderful background that meant going from chapter 1 to the 13, creating a new universe to where solitary creatures wander around in the evening and under the rain, laughing, crying, loving and suffering .

I give this series 9.9, no for what it is, so that can be. More than a chapter 14 or 15, what this series needs is to be taken again all along and the story that we all know exist, now really was revealed, because that it´s "Sola", a story eat no another one and only this way transform with many others animes, films or books in something unforgettable (story, characters, environment, development and two cans on a table ).

This series gets a solid "9" from me, purely based on my enjoyment. After reading parts of the very critical reviews of the series in this thread, I am surprised that people take so much time to analyze anime so methodically, in fact some of the reviews read like chemistry equations to me . Anyways to end my digression I will say that I found most aspects of the show well done, especially the music and voice acting. The animation was very good for the type of show this is, obviously not even close to the level of my favorites, Production I.G. and Kyoani, but definitely adequate. When I first watched the show, another anime immediately came to mind, "ARIA". I compare this show to ARIA because of its powerful atmosphere. ARIA, has no plot and very average animation, and yet (for me) is a very enjoyable show because of its atmosphere. While it is not a perfect comparison, it is the same type of enjoyment, so my rating of the series is based on that. I find that most anime series have problems with plot consistency, so I choose to avoid constant in depth analysis of the plot and average in all aspects. Prose on the other hand only has plot and characters to go on, and so lends its self more favorably to intense analysis. (I say this not to criticize those who analyze anime like this, but rather to explain how I can rate a series with such plot inconsistencies, lack of character development, i.e. all the criticisms rendered upon the series, so highly). So in short for me, good animation, (decent) plot, likable characters, good ending (not reset or completely happy, catharsis present), great voice acting, music and atmosphere = 9,

Though I'm going to be honest and say that I didn't exactly finish the series. I didn't watch the last episode but read a summary.

First of all. I found the series predictable from the start. I only watched because I hoped it wouldn't be predictable.

The theme of "sky" was what I first noticed, it was predictable. However it's theme hardly has a core importance to the plot and overall the Yorito's fascination of it is rather....irrelevant

Characters. All the side characters with the exception of Sae (Ami Koshimizu has some good roles coming up though) are good.

The relationships aren't particularly strong between the characters with the exception of Matsuri and Yorito (which sadly, I didn't pay attention to).
I was really annoyed with Yorito simply pushingf Mana away when he was going to "disappear". Instead he just takes his goddamn pictures of the sky

Terms. The Yaka is almost just plainly the story's take on a vampire that does not drink blood. I found the story's fantasy rather dull and uncomplicated. Alright. I might be being very critical here. But maybe I just found the story very cliche with one character "in love with the sky" and another "who can't see it"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sassarai

Aww don't compare Utawarerumono to sola. Uta actually has a story while I dont know what sola has but its definitely not a story.

So, a couple days ago a friend of mine and myself decided that we wanted to try marathoning a series. Neither of us had before, so we decided to give it a try. We chose this series firstly because it had a really cool name. Secondly, we chose it because it was apparently voted best anime of 2007, according to wikipedia. Third, we chose it because Matsuri is voiced by the ever wonderful Ichinose Kotomi voice.

So, this story to me is a three parter. At the start, it was the story of Matsuri being involved in the lead's life. In the middle, it was her disappearence. And in the end, it was about his disappearence. The middle got a little frustrating, as do most disappearing animes to me, but they handled it very well.

His disappearence sounded VERY familiar. After playing through "One", it sounds ever more so. But, I think they handled it well.

This anime left me light of heart. It was a fun anime, and a little saddening too. But, I like saddening things.

Overall, I'm going to rank this a tier I production, a 9/10, only a little bit behind Kanon and EF, and possibly Clannad. I wouldn't call it the "best" anime of 2007, but it's pretty close.

Wow was this show a huge let down for me. Being a KEY fan hearing who wrote it, I was expecting much much more. This was so bad! Nothing was as sad as it was supposed to be. Really bland characters for the most part. I can completely see Jun had set out most of the outlines for Kanon story for Naoki.

Not sure if the manga has a better representation, but the anime was not very good.

Characters were bland, uninteresting and had poor backgrounds. I could not like Matsuri, she was fake to me and had no charm to her. Aono was completely annoying in every respect. Her reasons to a point were worthwhile but then she suddenly changes in a blink of an eye.

Best characters Takeshi and Mayuko. There story would have to be more powerful than any of the others. If that were the main focus, it would have been a better series.

Music was acutually one thing that was good about the show I really enjoyed the OP.

Animation was odd at times but overall alright.

I just can't believe it was voted best anime of 2007 >.> it was so bad I can make a better story. Man.....this can not even compare to anything made by KEY.